Meaning of the word hardly

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard +‎ -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɑːdli/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɑɹdli/

Adverb[edit]

hardly (comparative hardlier or more hardly, superlative hardliest or most hardly)

  1. (degree) Barely, only just, almost not.

    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

      How lonely they looked as they lay there, and how ill assorted! That little heap had been for two thousand years the wisest, loveliest, proudest creature — I can hardly call her woman — in the whole universe.

    • 2011 November 3, David Ornstein, “Macc Tel-Aviv 1-2 Stoke”, in BBC Sport:

      With this the second of three games in seven days for Stoke, it was hardly surprising to see nine changes from the side that started against Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday.

    • 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:

      Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.

    they hardly ever watch television; I hardly think they’ll come in this bad weather; it’s hardly possible he could lose the election.

  2. (now rare) With difficulty.
    • , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.234:
      And what gentle flame soever doth warme the heart of young virgins, yet are they hardly drawne to leave and forgoe their mothers, to betake them to their husbands […].
    • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, page 40:
      While in Chelsea, Anne Smiley pined, taking very hardly to her unaccustomed role of wife abandoned.
  3. (manner, archaic) Harshly, severely; in a hard manner.

    • 1866 February 1, [O.G. Trevelyan], “The Dawk Bungalow”, in Frazer’s Magazine, page 219:

      «Mr. Cholmondeley, the young men out here are much too hardly worked to allow them time for paying impertinent compliments.»

  4. (manner, obsolete) Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion.
    • , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.148:
      Let him hardly be possest with an honest curiositie to search out the nature and causes of all things […].

    • 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter IV, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, →OCLC, pages 101–102:

      Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly, that I felt the palpitation of every artery; at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness.

Usage notes[edit]

  • In the modern sense «barely», it is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never.
    • Compare example sentence with I almost never watch television
    • Because of the anomalous sense of this word, expressions such as «hardly working» have an opposite meaning to what the etymology («hard» + «-ly») would suggest. «Working hard» suggests that considerable work is being done, whereas «hardly working» suggests that very little work is being done.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (barely, almost not or not quite): barely, just, only just, scarcely

Derived terms[edit]

  • not hardly
  • working hard or hardly working

Translations[edit]

harshly

  • Czech: přísně
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 重 (yue) (zung6)
    Hakka: 重 (chhung)
    Mandarin: 重 (zh) (zhòng)
    Min Nan: 重 (zh-min-nan) (tiōng)
  • French: dur (fr), durement (fr)
  • German: hart (de), rau (de)
  • Icelandic: af hörku, hakalega
  • Italian: aspramente (it)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: hardt
  • Portuguese: severamente (pt)
  • Russian: ре́зко (ru) (rézko), жёстко (ru) (žóstko), суро́во (ru) (suróvo)

barely, only just

  • Armenian: հազիվ (թե) (haziv (tʿe)), դժվարությամբ (džvarutʿyamb)
  • Belarusian: ледзь (ljedzʹ)
  • Bulgarian: едва́м (bg) (edvám)
  • Catalan: a penes (ca), gaire (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 幾乎不／几乎不 (jīhū bù)
  • Czech: sotva (cs), stěží (cs)
  • Danish: knap
  • Dutch: nauwelijks (nl)
  • Esperanto: apenaŭ (eo)
  • Faroese: neyvan
  • Finnish: tuskin (fi), töin tuskin, hädin tuskin (fi)
  • French: guère (fr), à peine (fr)
  • Friulian: please add this translation if you can
  • Georgian: please add this translation if you can
  • German: kaum (de)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: μόλις (mólis)
  • Hebrew: בקושי‎ (bekóshi)
  • Hindi: थोड़े (thoṛe)
  • Hungarian: alig (hu), aligha (hu), nemigen (hu), bajosan
  • Icelandic: með naumindum (is), naumlega, ekki meira en svo, varla (is), tæplega, með erfiði, með fyrirhöfn
  • Ido: apene (io)
  • Interlingua: please add this translation if you can
  • Irish: ní móide
  • Italian: appena (it)
  • Khmer: គើមៗ (kəəm-kəəm), ស្ទើរតែ (stǝǝ tae), តើកៗ (taək-taək)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: ئاستەم‎ (ckb) (astem), جارجار‎ (ckb) (carcar)
  • Latin: vix, haud (la)
  • Lithuanian: vos (lt), vos vos
  • Macedonian: одвај (odvaj), едвај (edvaj)
  • Maori: pitoiti, pitoiptoiti
  • Mongolian:
    Cyrillic: арай (mn) (araj)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: knapt (no), neppe (no)
  • Occitan: gaire (oc)
  • Ojibwe: agaawaa
  • Old English: unēaþe
  • Old French: a paine
  • Polish: ledwo (pl)
  • Portuguese: quase não, mal (pt)
  • Romanian: abia (ro)
  • Russian: едва́ (ru) (jedvá), е́ле (ru) (jéle)
  • Sardinian:
    Campidanese: appenas
    Logudorese: accalaítzu, azìgu, izu
  • Sassarese: aìzu
  • Scottish Gaelic: air èiginn
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: је̏два
    Roman: jȅdva (sh)
  • Slovak: sotva, ledva
  • Spanish: apenas (es), a duras penas
  • Swedish: knappast (sv), knappt (sv), näppeligen (sv)
  • Thai: please add this translation if you can
  • Turkish: please add this translation if you can
  • Ukrainian: ле́две (uk) (lédve), ледь (ledʹ)
  • Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
  • Yiddish: קוים‎ (koym)

Interjection[edit]

hardly

  1. Not really.
    I think the Beatles are a really overrated band. ― Hardly!

References[edit]

  • hardly at OneLook Dictionary Search
Источник

1

a


—used to emphasize a minimal amount or degree

I hardly knew her. [=I didn’t know her well at all.]It’s almost new—there’s hardly a scratch [=there are almost no scratches] on it.There’s been hardly any [=almost no] news.There’s hardly any [=almost none] left.Hardly anyone [=almost no one] showed up.We hardly ever [=almost never] see you these days!

b

: by a narrow margin of time : only just

c

: almost not

She was hardly able to control her excitement.

d

: certainly not

That news is hardly surprising.

That hardly seems fair. [=that certainly does not seem fair]

If you’re satisfied with what you’ve got, you’re hardly going to look for anything better.—Flannery O’Connor

e

informal


—used to soften a negative

… you can’t hardly tell who anyone is or isn’t.—George Bernard Shaw

2

dated

: with difficulty : painfully

… where the means of existence was wrung so hardly from the soil …—Sir Winston Churchill

3

dated

: in a severe manner : harshly

Things may go hardly with us … before the war is over.—Nevil Shute

… he ranted on in a towering passion of wrath and grief. … He believed himself hardly used indeed.—E. Barrington (Elizabeth Louisa Moresby Beck)

4

archaic

: with force : vigorously

… earrings jangling down hardly on diminutive gold chains …—Osbert Sitwell


Can hardly be used with a negative?: Usage Guide

Hardly in sense 1d is used sometimes with not for emphasis.



Just another day at the office? Not hardly.

In sense 1e with a negative verb (such as can’t, wouldn’t, didn’t) it does not make a double negative but softens the negative. In «you can’t hardly find a red one,» the sense is that you can find a red one, but only with difficulty; in «you can’t find a red one,» the sense is that red ones are simply not available. Use of hardly with a negative verb is a speech form; it is most commonly heard in Southern and Midland speech areas. In other speech areas and in all discursive prose, hardly is normally used with a positive.



You can hardly find a red one.

Synonyms

Example Sentences



It hardly matters what I think.



The changes in service have hardly been noticed.



There are hardly any new features in this software.



Hardly anyone showed up for the meeting.



Hardly a day goes by when I don’t think about you.



This is hardly a new idea for a movie.



“Is this a new idea for a movie?” “Hardly! I’ve seen dozens of movies just like it.”

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

The Synnestvedts are hardly the only siblings C-C’s Jeff Campbell has coached in his 10-year tenure leading the school’s Nordic program.


—Brad Joyal, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Feb. 2023




However, the need to foresee the future, and the limited ability to predict unexpected and extreme challenges is hardly a new phenomenon.


—Hec Paris Insights, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023




Real estate along the rope was hardly at a premium, even when Emmitt Smith and Carli Lloyd come by.


—The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2023




That vote will hardly be the last say on the plan, which is expected to remain alive in the House’s budget bill, which also contains language to create a stadium authority.


—Sam Fortier, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023




The decades since have hardly been unmitigated failures.


—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023




There was hardly a dry eye in the Crypto.com Arena nor on couches around the world watching the 2023 Grammy Awards during its in memoriam segment, which honored the biggest names in music that died in the past year.


—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2023




The balloon was hardly a birthday party fly-away: Up to 200 feet tall, with a payload weighing more than 2,000 pounds, and potentially with explosives to self-detonate if China so chose.


—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023




But Jasmine Sharma, the recent Northwestern graduate who wrote this play, and Grace Dolezal-Ng, a fellow graduate, who directed it for Shattered Globe Theatre hardly are all-in with the Greek system.


—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023


See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘hardly.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler

The first known use of hardly was
before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hardly

Cite this Entry

“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardly. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on hardly

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

вряд ли, едва, едва ли, чуть, с трудом, еле, насилу, резко, сурово, несправедливо

наречие ↓

- едва

he had hardly time enough — у него едва хватило времени, он едва успел 
she is hardly twenty — а) ей едва исполнилось двадцать; б) ей нет ещё и двадцати лет 
hardly … when — лишь только /едва/ …, как 
hardly had she put on her dress when the door burst open — едва она успела надеть платье, как дверь распахнулась 
we had hardly gone out when the rain began — не успели мы выйти из дому, как начался дождь 

- едва, насилу, еле; почти не

- едва ли, вряд ли

it is hardly possible [right] — едва ли /вряд ли/ это возможно [правильно] 
he will hardly come now [risk it] — вряд ли он придёт сейчас [рискнёт] 
that’s hardly to be wondered at — этому вряд ли следует удивляться 
I hardly need tell you, I need hardly say — едва ли мне нужно говорить 
we shall hardly meet him again — вряд ли мы когда-нибудь снова встретимся с ним 

- с трудом, с усилием, с напряжением; тяжело

hardly pronounceable — труднопроизносимый 
money hardly earned — с трудом заработанные деньги; деньги, заработанные нелёгким трудом 
the battle was hardly contested — бой был жарким 

- резко; сурово; жестоко; несправедливо

to think hardly of smb. — быть дурного мнения о ком-л. 
he was hardly treated /dealt with, done by/ — с ним плохо /грубо/ обошлись 

- уст. твёрдо, уверенно

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

to deserve hardly / scarcely — едва ли заслуживать  
hardly anything — почти ничего  
she can hardly see — она почти ничего не видит  
it is hardly possible — едва ли /вряд ли/ это возможно  
he will hardly come now — вряд ли он придет сейчас  
your chair will hardly go with the room — ваше кресло едва ли подойдёт к стилю комнаты  
still hardly out of swaddling-clothes — ещё молоко на губах не обсохло  
coast was hardly distinguishable through the haze — берег был едва виден сквозь дымку; берег был едва виден в тумане  
hardly visible — еле видный  
with hardly any trouble at all — без каких-либо проблем  

Примеры с переводом

I hardly ran away. 

Я еле ноги унёс.

I can hardly believe it! 

В это невозможно поверить!

You hardly ever tell me anything! 

Ты мне почти никогда ничего не говоришь!

That news is hardly surprising. 

Вряд ли это неожиданная новость.

We hardly ever visit your parents. 

Мы почти никогда не навещаем твоих родителей.

They could hardly move. 

Они едва могли пошевельнуться.

Life pushed him hardly. 

Жизнь жестоко с ним обошлась.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Hardly anyone (=almost no one) writes to me these days.  

She lives in Spain, so we hardly ever (=almost never) see her.  

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

hard  — жесткий, трудный, твердый, жестко, твердо, тяжело, каторга, брод
hardness  — твердость, жесткость, прочность, плотность, крепость, степень твердости, суровость
harding  — закалка

Источник

В одной из тем мы узнали, что наречия образуются от прилагательных путем прибавление суффикса — ly. Но существуют наречия, форма которых совпадает с формой прилагательного, а при добавлении суффикса — ly в корне меняет значение. Сегодня мы рассмотрим наречие hardly и его употребление в английском языке.

Употребление наречия hardly

Из предыдущей статьи мы узнали, что слово hard может быть как прилагательным (сложный), так и наречием (усердно).

Но, добавив суффикс — ly, мы получаем другое значение.

Hardly употребление

Рассмотрим пример

  • Could you speak a bit louder? I can hardly hear you. (Не мог бы говорить немного громче. Я едва тебя слышу)

Мы используем hardly в значении «едва, почти не».

Примеры

  • How can I ask him such a thing? We hardly know each other. (Как я могу его об этом попросить. Мы едва знаем друг друга);
  • She’s so quiet today. She hardly said anything. (Он очень тихая сегодня. Почти ничего не сказала);
  • Paul has hardly changed over the last ten years. (Пол почти не изменился за последние десять лет).

Обратите внимание, что hardly употребляется перед глаголом. А в составном глагольном сказуемом — между его частями.

  • Hardly know;
  • Can hardly hear.

Hardly + any

Можно часто встретить употребление hardly в сочетании с неопределёнными местоимениями.

  • Any
  • Anyone
  • Anywhere
  • Anything

Примеры

  • Would you buy something to eat. There is hardly anything left. (Купи что-нибудь поесть. У нас почти ничего не осталось);
  • The day was cloudy, but there was hardly any rain. (День был пасмурный, но дождя почти не было);
  • How much money do you have? Hardly any. (Сколько у тебя денег. Почти нет);
  • The city is so big, but there’s hardly anywhere to go. (Город такой большой, но едва есть куда сходить).

Выражение hardly ever означает «почти никогда».

  • He always stays at home. He hardly ever goes out. (Он всегда сидит дома. Он почти никогда не выходит). 

Hardly, употребление наречия — тест на закрепление

Источник
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023

hard•ly /ˈhɑrdli/USA pronunciation  
adv. 

  1. only just;
    almost not;
    barely:We hardly ever see you anymore.
  2. not at all;
    scarcely:It’s hardly surprising that we lost money during the recession.
  3. with little likelihood:They will hardly come now.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

hard•ly 
(härd′lē),USA pronunciation adv. 

  1. only just;
    almost not;
    barely:We had hardly reached the lake when it started raining. hardly any; hardly ever.
  2. not at all;
    scarcely:That report is hardly surprising.
  3. with little likelihood:He will hardly come now.
  4. forcefully or vigorously.
  5. with pain or difficulty.
  6. [Brit.]harshly or severely.
  7. hard.
  • 1175–1225; Middle English; Old English heardlice. See hard, —ly

    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Hardly, barely, scarcely imply a narrow margin by which performance was, is, or will be achieved.
      Hardly, though often interchangeable with scarcely and barely, usually emphasizes the idea of the difficulty involved:We could hardly endure the winter.Barely emphasizes the narrowness of the margin of safety, «only just and no more»:We barely succeeded.Scarcely implies a very narrow margin, below satisfactory performance:He can scarcely read.


    1, 3. Hardly, barely, and scarcely all have a negative connotation, and the use of any of them with a negative like can’t or couldn’t is often condemned as a double negative and thus considered nonstandard:I can’t hardly wait.Such constructions do occur occasionally in the speech of educated persons, often with jocular intent (You can’t hardly get that kind any more) but are not found in formal speech or writing. When hardly in the sense «only just, almost not» is followed by a clause, the usual word to introduce the clause is when: The telephone had hardly stopped ringing when (not than) the doorbell rang. See also double negative. 


Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hardly /ˈhɑːdlɪ/ adv

  1. scarcely; barely: we hardly knew the family
  2. just; only just: he could hardly hold the cup
  3. often ironic almost or probably not or not at all: he will hardly incriminate himself
  4. with difficulty or effort
  5. rare harshly or cruelly

USAGE
Since hardly, scarcely, and barely already have negative force, it is redundant to use another negative in the same clause: he had hardly had (not he hadn’t hardly had) time to think; there was scarcely any (not scarcely no) bread left

‘hardly‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

Источник

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Meaning of the word hard working
  • Meaning of the word hard hearted
  • Meaning of the word happiness
  • Meaning of the word handy
  • Meaning of the word handsome